A report emerged from Sky Sports on Tuesday claiming Newcastle have held talks with Strasbourg over a deal to bring midfielder Ibrahima Sissoko to Tyneside in January.
Should a deal be agreed, the fee is said to be around £10.5 million, and would see a shift in policy for the Magpies, who are notorious for leaving deals until the last minute.
It is quite a change to hear about Lee Charnley and Co being proactive ahead of the transfer window opening, and it should be applauded that – for once – they are looking to act quickly in a bid to save the season.
It also begs the question, why were they not this supportive of Rafa Benitez when he was here? But that is a different argument for another day.
Some fans have questioned the need for a midfielder
But fans have not been universally pleased with the potential move. Although most would likely agree it is nice to see the club making early moves on potential deals, the need for a holding midfielder is not where they want to see the club prioritising.
Personally, I think another midfielder would be a good move, giving the club the option to offload either, or both, of Jonjo Shelvey and Ki Sung Yueng.
Switching the two older players for a current France Under-21 international would be a sensible move, which would improve the squad, and give Steve Bruce options over his formation choices.
The club must continue with their work, however, and a right-winger simply must be brought in during the winter window.
Fans took to Twitter to have their say on the potential deal, and here are a few of their responses:
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
